HW will be chiming in for sure with detailed tales of Yost's mismanagement. I don't get to watch the games so can't really do that. But there are plusses and minusses here.

Plus side:

they're over 500, a smidgen under by pythag, in what still looks like a weak division (or the Cards will win 100 games).

Nobody with much playing time on offense (other than Kendall and Kapler who will now be on the bench) has over-performed and quite a few have under-performed. They can expect better production from Braun (though nothing like last year I don't think), Fielder, Weeks and Hardy at least. The bench won't do as well but this still looks like an above-average offense to me, barring injury to a star.

Gagne's clearly having issues (4 HR and 10 BB in 15 IP) but also still has some talent there (15 hits and 17 Ks in 15 IP). We're not (yet) talking Joe Borowski here. Granted, I still don't know why anyone would give Gagne 1/$10 given his recent history. Sure, it's just one year and so not at all crippling, but why didn't Melvin laugh at Gagne's agent when he asked for that?

Minus side:

The starting pitching is hurt and not doing well. Nevertheless, Yost appears to be handling it in a dreadful fashion. Sheets and Gallardo are the only guys he's allowed to average even 6 IP/start. Despite having like 20 pitchers in the bullpen, he's got 3 relievers on course for about 80-90 IP plus poor Solomon Torres is looking at something in the 100-120 range (no Torres is not somebody you need to treat with kid gloves but that's really pushing it). Despite all those relievers, his best guys are going to be worn out by midseason -- which he did last year. Some small bit of that is solved by finally realizing that there's no point having Turnbow on the roster if he's only going to pitch 35 innings for the season, but Yost simply has to find a way to reduce the bullpen load and spread more of it onto fungible relievers. (one of HW's favorite themes)

They are also walking way too many people -- 4.2/9 this year vs. 3.2/9 last year.

How's the defense been?

I haven't looked closely at the defensive totals, but the knee jerk reaction of fans is one of progress, save Weeks who has made several poor plays at 2nd. Hall actually is headed to a Braun-like pace at 3rd with 5 errors already. Based on watching 3/4 of their games, I'd say Braun is learning on the job, but a lot of his shortcomings aren't so much whether he commits an error or not, but how he plays balls in the corner, and how to catch and throw, it hasn't been horrible, but not that good.

It is the baserunning that has been most disturbing so far. I predict Sveum will be the first fall guy if things really start to crumble. It's usually a hitting or pitching coach, but Sveum is getting close to waving in a pink slip for himself.

Since, Gagne has 34 saves in 43 chances while allowing a .263 average.

What are opponents hitting off him since the trade to Boston? .463?

There will not be a later for him or the Brewers.

That's kind of a stupid thing to say. There won't be a later for him, but there obviously will for the Brewers. Regardless of what happens this year, the future is still bright.

Horry:

Actually, I think the moment may be closing already. And no, this is not the standard fan pessimism. Follow my reasoning:

--Doug Melvin has hitched his wagon to Ned Yost. That is eminently clear

--The Brewers have sufficient talent to be an over .500 team

--The bullpen will remain an issue. Between the talent level and Yost's ineptitude in this area anticipating any level of reliability is wishful thinking

--Sheets will almost certainly leave after the season. Even if he can be had for a reasonable fee I think the organization is weary of working around his injuries

--Gallardo may or may not come back at his previous level. And even if does it will be likely well into 2009 before that happens

--the remaining collection of starters are mediocre as a group

--Players continue to accumulate service time, salaries increase via arbitration, etc.

--the rest of the division continues to work toward being better

I think by the time ownership realizes that a management change is in order a good portion of the talent base will be approaching free agency. And without sufficient winning to generate escalated fan interest/additional cash flow some of the guys will exit

Doug Melvin is absolutely correct in that 2008 is the time the Brewers step forward.

Only he has hitched the wagon to a dumb mule that doesn't know haw from gee.

I know this will read as unduly negative. But I am working to be pragmatic. Of course, my thoughts are predicated on the belief that Ned Yost is not equipped to manage this team beyond a ceiling of 85 wins.

Of course, my thoughts are predicated on the belief that Ned Yost is not equipped to manage this team beyond a ceiling of 85 wins.

Were you predicting 88 on the basis that Melvin would replace Yost?

Doc:

Correct. But then so far this season Yost has lost 3 games. So now it's readjusted down to 85.

Not being cute. AT his current pace Ned will manage this team to below .500

HW, the Brewers still have an accumulation of excessive young talent. Even if they fall short this year, Melvin can trade some of it to make the team more balanced. Your pessimism will come to fruition only if Melvin twiddles his thumbs for the next 2 years.

Brewers need veteran leadership on offense. Someone like Eric Byrnes, I say.

But then so far this season Yost has lost 3 games.

HW, can you quickly summarise those these 3 games, as I don't follow the Brewers closely enough to know which ones they were. I assume one is the game he used Gagne for the fourth day in a row. Can you explain the other two?

Brewers need veteran leadership on offense. Someone like Eric Byrnes, I say.

Poor levski. He's just desperate to get rid of Eric Byrnes. Maybe next season, but I think you're stuck with him for a while yet.

Your pessimism will come to fruition only if Melvin twiddles his thumbs for the next 2 years.

As I have written elsewhere, I have accepted the fact that Doug Melvin has hitched his wagon to Yost as manager. By the time the organization realizes that this decision was ill-advised the window of opportunity will have nearly closed.

Ned Yost was fine for a team in a rebuilding mode. But as in many facets of business his set of skills is now not aligned with the needs of the organization.

Poor levski. He's just desperate to get rid of Eric Byrnes.

So we're in for a repeat of the Shawn Green years here on BTF, then?

So we're in for a repeat of the Shawn Green years here on BTF, then?

Unfortunately I think there's no way the Mets trade for Eric Byrnes any time soon.

Manager Ned Yost and his Milwaukee Brewers unraveled under the pressure of meaningful September games last season.

The thing that annoys me about statements like this is that so many of the young players did the complete opposite. Braun, Rickie and Prince absolutely dominated in September. Hart was excellent. Gallardo and Villanueva were dominant.

The numbers for all 6 of those guys in September were striking. Whatever went wrong, the nucleus of the team was not the problem. In fact, they were all so good that I doubt they will be able to replicate their performance any time soon, which means 2007 may have been their best chance to sneak into the playoffs, but it didn't happen.

Following the Brewers is so frustrating. They have had a coherent rebuilding strategy in place for 6 years and they are still only a .500 type team while many other teams have already went from being good to bad to good again in that time. Melvin has never made the big move to accelerate the process like Florida or Arizona or Oakland have done. Now, the young players are about to start getting expensive, and some of them (Hardy and Weeks) are still as unproven as they were the day they came up.


I wonder if firing Melvin and promoting Zduriencik would be the way to go. Z has been responsible for most of the talent that the Brewers possess. Let's let him have total control and see if he can make more astute moves than Melvin has.